The Blue Overlay
by rgb-witch
Summary: Akko's bottle has hit the top and is spilling. Oneshot. Rated T for themes of mental health disorders. Dianakko / Diana Akko


Hi, everyone. Thank you for taking

time to try out reading this fic.

Truthfully, this is vent writing, but I encourage

you to read it and make of it as you will.

I like to associate songs with my writing,

so I recommend in love with a ghost's "the land of the giant flying beast."

Thanks!

The young girl, leaning forward from her seat on the edge of the bed, sighed with her face in her hands. She took a moment to glance up, at the orange light of sunset beaming into her room, only her legs, arm, and face lit by the orange. She could see the particles of dust floating about, almost as though they were dancing amongst each other. They seemed to enjoy the moment.

Atsuko Kagari was frowning, her eyes dull, and tired; her brown hair still messy from when she woke up that Saturday morning, stray strands from her bangs covering her left eye. Her room was empty, though this wasn't unusual. Her roommates were off to dinner at this time. What _was_ unusual, though, was the fact that Akko didn't go with them. They allowed her to stay behind, since she was asleep while they were leaving, or at least that's what they thought.

The girl had been feigning sleep when they left; the truth was that she wasn't hungry, and she knew they'd make her come if she was awake. She didn't eat lunch that day, either, nor breakfast. She had requested to be left alone in bed.

She didn't know _why_ she was hungry.

Her stomach almost felt nonexistent, however. She didn't feel hungry; she just felt bad. Even just looking into the light of sunset that was slowly, slowly leaving her room, it didn't feel real.

Akko needed to do something. She could tell that the time she spent sitting around was only making her feel worse. The girl was frustrated, at the same time, though; she _should_ know. But nothing happened! If anything, her life had only gotten better since the events involving the Noir Rod.

She didn't feel like she was risking expulsion for her lack of performance (more so once the staff considered how she had magic drained from her _along with_ coming from a heritage that didn't involve magic). Diana, of all people, was part of her primary social group, and she hadn't any problems with her close friends.

Everything was going her way. Yet, this sense of despair has only been increasing. She didn't even know when it began, she just knew that she was so used to it and only realized how strong it was on her by the time she really considered it that morning.

The door closed behind her, her hand limping off the handle as she stepped forward, away, down the hall. She was donning a different style from what she usually wore around the school; a simple black graphic tee, and some denim shorts. The t-shirt had a white monotonous design of Shiny Chariot on it. That shirt had always made Akko smile, and it was a weekend with no classes, so she felt no reason to dress for comfort.

As she walked down the halls, gaze downwards, Akko didn't realize she passed by Hannah and Barbara. She could hear one of them mutter how unprofessional it was to dress so sloppily, before getting elbowed by the other. They didn't dislike Akko, at least not any longer. The Japanese student dismissed it as them sticking to their old habits, which she didn't think she took too personally. She wasn't really one to hold grudges.

It did kind of sting in Akko's mind, though. She didn't notice how the pair, moments after, called her name, asking where she had been earlier in the day.

A while later, Akko was outside. The sky was darker, now, a light tone of blue overlaying everything. That bright orange was gone, as were her prior thoughts about times of when she felt happy. She appreciated the beauty of it, but it didn't feel right. Her vision was simply just… a monitor in front of her. This wasn't real.

She walked down the pathway, up a hill. Colors began to mesh together, before fading into a dark blue. The noises of the animals around her began to hush, the wind being the only sound to accompany her footsteps through the gravel and dirt as she went up to the top of the moderate cliff.

Akko was scared.

Her sullen gaze was now stricken with a red blush, momentary life rising into her eyes, into her face. She wasn't walking any longer, and she shivered.

In front of her was the steep decline of the cliff, a lot less grass being able to grow here, so a lot more stone being in its stead.

She shook her head, and fell to the ground. She let her legs spread forward, as she leaned back, her hands supporting her on the ground behind her.

Moments later, though, she leaned forward, her elbows on her knees, now, her face in her hands, again. She didn't feel any better.

But everything is okay. She's happy, otherwise. Akko just couldn't understand. These bouts of sadness kept happening, more and more frequently, getting worse and worse. She didn't deserve to feel down. She didn't have the right.

The red of her blush became wet; her eyes were watery.

She didn't want to cry. She really, really, did not want to cry. She didn't deserve the right to be sad, no. Akko kept thinking that to herself, before she leaned back, again, and slapped herself with a hiccup.

"Akko!" sounded a sharp shout from the path behind her.

The girl jumped, quickly glancing behind her to meet a silhouette, before quickly looking forward again and wiping at her face in a panic.

Footsteps sounded behind her, approaching, and they stopped at her side. Akko was looking to the opposite side, not wanting to face whoever it was.

The girl besides her squatted next to her.

"Atsuko…" they whispered. Akko recognized that voice. She hiccuped again, and she began blushing again in embarrassment, in frustration. She didn't want anyone to see her like this. "Don't do that. Don't hurt yourself."

A silence grew after that, however. But the girl beside Akko didn't move, instead sitting down more comfortably. She offered her what Akko didn't want, but what she needed: a presence.

Akko shook her head, her gaze forward and down, now. Akko's voice was hushed and cracked, coarse from her breakdown. "Sorry," she stuttered, turning towards the blonde girl beside her, trying to smile. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Diana."

The blonde-haired girl's face was coated in worry, her blue eyes dark, and dull. Her face was barely lit in the dusk of the sky, but Akko was able to read her expression. She saw disappointment.

Her assumption was immediately inverted, however.

"Akko…" Diana mumbled, her voice soft. "You have nothing to apologize for. Nothing at all. Alright?"

The brunette's attempt at a smile dissolved, her gaze moving downwards as she shook her head. Diana was wearing the normal Luna Nova uniform. A small backpack laid besides the two. Akko noticed now, though, Diana's composure: she was shaking, hardly able to keep her composure.

Diana stammered. It was almost frightening to Akko, to see Diana like this. "Akko," she began. "Akko, tell me what's going on."

Again, Akko shook her head.

"Diana, nothing's wrong," Akko mumbled, her voice cracking as she lied. It technically _wasn't_ a lie to Akko, though. There was no reason for her to feel this way. She wasn't sure why she hit herself, she figured that she wanted to make herself realize she shouldn't feel bad.

The blonde rubbed the red of Akko's cheek from the slap, noticing already a small bruise. Diana's eyes were narrowed, Akko wasn't the only one afraid. But this wasn't Akko. She had never acted like this, before, not on the surface. This was different.

Diana looked down, a small smile forming.

"Sucy and Lotte informed me of how you aren't eating…" Diana mumbled, her voice hushed at an unnecessary whisper. She didn't want her voice to crack. "They stopped by my room after I finished eating. Hannah and Barbara told me that they had seen you walking in this direction, as well…"

She reached for her backpack, taking out a small tupperware, placing it on her leg. "You don't need to eat now. I understand how you may feel. Just… eat this once you _do_ get your appetite back, alright?"

Diana wasn't making eye contact, and Akko's face was blank, her eyes sore. She nodded subtly, though, and moved the tupperware from Diana's leg to besides her on the ground.

The blonde-haired girl prepared to stand, but Akko reached for her hand. She had a sharp gaze, so Diana sat back down.

Diana hadn't a clue as to what invoked such behaviour from her friend, but she felt like she had to be involved.

She apologized to her friend for almost leaving, and turned to face the same direction as Akko. They could see the moon from this angle, and the stars were beginning to show. The treetops were a navy blue, now, rather than the normal dark green. Diana couldn't help but compare the treetops to the description of the trees from Japan that Akko had always enthused about.

Pink, green, yellow, dark. It was nice to think about.

Diana's attention was brought back as Akko's arms wrapped around her: an embrace. Akko was crying, but her eyes glimmered.

"I was worried, you probably realize…" Diana muttered. "So I want you to know that, when I saw you hurt yourself, it felt like I let you down, somehow. I think I understand how you feel, Akko. Really."

Diana smiled lightly, ignoring the visuals of her mother and father in her head.

Akko didn't feel good, but at least she felt alive, now. This was _her_ experience. Diana was truly next to her, offering support, and the warping and mixture of blue in front of them was genuine. The red of their blushes, too, were genuine.

Akko swallowed, guilty over her teardrops falling onto Diana's robe; but she felt reassurance once the blonde unhooked her robe and wrapped it around the both of them.

"Thank you so much, Diana.

"For everything.

"And, when the time comes, I want to talk to you about something important."


End file.
